Abu Samra
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Abu Samra
أبو سمرة | |
|---|---|
Settlement | |
 Sand ripples on a beach in Abu Samra | |
  Abu Samra | |
| Coordinates: 24°44′17″N 50°53′43″E / 24.73806°N 50.89528°E | |
| Country |  Qatar |
| Municipality | Al Rayyan |
| Zone | Zone 96 |
| District no. | 726 |
| Area | |
• Total | 24.6 km2 (9.5 sq mi) |
Abu Samra (Arabic: أبو سمرة, romanized: Abū Samrah) is a settlement in Qatar, located in the municipality of Al Rayyan (90 km from Doha).[2] It used to be part of the Jariyan al Batnah municipality before the municipality was incorporated into Al Rayyan.[3]
Notable features of the area are a border post separating the southern part of the municipality from Saudi Arabia, and a well.[4] It was previously Qatar's only land border crossing to Saudi Arabia,[5][6] until its closure in June 2017 over the Qatar diplomatic crisis.[7] The border was opened again when the blockade ended in 2021.
History
In 1970, the Salwa Highway was completed, becoming the first road to link the capital Doha to the border with Saudi Arabia at Abu Samra.[8]
Geography
Abu Samra is located in the southernmost part of Qatar, near the border with Saudi Arabia. It marks the southwestern edge of Qatar's southern desert region, which covers approximately 34.7% of the country's total area. Geographically, Abu Samra sits at the apex of a triangular area known as Al Urayq, which is characterized by sand dunes.[9]
Qatar's capital, Doha, is located at a distance of 97 km to the north-east.[10]
Land use
Abu Samra is located in Zone 96, a largely undeveloped zone characterized by undulating terrain dominated by small sand dunes. Of the zone's 801.7 square km area, only 43 square km of land is under use. Commercial and industrial establishments occupy 2% of its land, government offices occupy 4%, farmland takes up 11% and the remainder of developed land is categorized as "other", which includes under-construction developments.[11]
Climate
According to the Qatar Meteorology Department, the lowest temperature in Qatar's recorded history is 1.5 degrees Celsius in Abu Samra in February 2017.[12]
